Srinagar , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A soldier at an army camp in Indian-administered Kashmir killed five of his colleagues Thursday before turning his gun on himself , the military said .

The soldier opened fire with an automatic rifle in the barracks of the camp in the town of Safapora , roughly 30 kilometers -LRB- 19 miles -RRB- north of the capital , Srinagar , said military spokesman Lt. Col. N.N. Joshi .

An investigation into the shooting has been ordered , Joshi said .

Kashmir is a mountainous region that has long been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan . Both sides keep large numbers of troops in the region .

Since 1989 , India has also been fighting against a violent separatist movement in the mainly Muslim area it controls , a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people .

Previous cases of members of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces in Kashmir turning their guns on their colleagues have taken place over the years .

Authorities have attributed previous shootings to stress caused by long duty hours and protracted separation from families .

Officials have introduced measures like long periods of leave and recreational facilities to try to tackle the problem .

Journalist Mukhtar Ahmad reported from Srinagar , and CNN 's Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong .

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A soldier opens fire with an automatic rifle in a camp north of Srinagar

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He kills five colleagues in the barracks before turning the gun on himself

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Previous cases of soldiers attacking colleagues have taken place in Kashmir